All tanks in State brimming with water due to Mission Kakatiya: Harish Rao

Sun, Sep 11, 2016, 05:31 PM

Hyderabad, Sept.11: Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu and Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao here on Sunday stressed the need for making agriculture as a profitable avocation.

Participating in the presentation of “Rytunestham” Awards function, both the ministers said the toiling farmers were groaning under the back-breaking burden of mounting debts and poverty. The Union minister said while a politician wants his son to step into his shoes and an actor wants his son to become an actor, the tractor-driving farmer doesn’t want his progeny to till the land but to become at least a clerk. He also stressed the need for all TV channels to provide “Kisan Cell” compulsorily to disseminate news about the Annadata.

Harish Rao said the State government has introduced National Agriculture Market policy in 44 markets yards in the State. He said efforts were being made to provide better services to the farmers from the next financial year. Stating that the prestigious “Mission Kakatiya” program of the State government was yielding good results, Harish Rao said all the agricultural tanks in the State were brimming with waters due to the scheme. Stating that the State government was making vigorous efforts to ensure waters to irrigate one crore acres, he said the government had earmarked Rs 25,000 crore for completing irrigation projects.

Prof. Devi Prasad Juvvadi, an agricultural development economist, received Padmasri Dr. I.V. Subba Rao Memorial Award for Excellence in Agriculture for his significant contributions in the areas of agricultural governance, agricultural extension systems and worked on farmer-centric initiatives to increase farmers’ income from agriculture. The award in the form of a trophy and memento was presented by Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu, and Telangana Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao, at a function held on the occasion of 12th Annual celebrations of an agricultural magazine “Rythunestham” at Hotel Katriya, Somajiguda. Y. Venkateshwar Rao, Chairman, Rythu Nestham Foundation and Yarlagadda Laxmi Prasad, Member, Bharat Hindi Samithi participated in the celebrations.

Prof. Devi Prasad had worked at the American University of Beirut for a decade and later worked with an international organization in the Middle East and Africa in various capacities. He published more than 60 scientific papers and regularly contributed articles to Telugu and English newspapers on agricultural policies, governance. He has also written several books. He conducted innovative programs for extension services delivery.

Early this year, Prof. Devi Prasad’s book on “Climate Smart Agriculture” was released by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and another book on “Sustainable Agriculture” by Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, Father of Green Revolution in India. Now, Prof. Devi Prasad is working as Director at Centre for Good Governance, Hyderabad.